NJ Health Statistics
1997

Mortality
Statistical Overview

Number
of Deaths

There
were 72,039 deaths of New Jersey residents during the calendar year
1997, which was a decrease of 1,073 deaths from the 1996 total. This
represents a 1.5 percent decrease from the number of deaths in 1996.
There were 61,504 white, 9,006 black, 470 Asian and Pacific Islander,
203 Asian Indian, 34 American Indian and 13 other race deaths (CHS,
2000b). There were 809 death records on which the race was not classifiable
or not stated. There were slightly more female than male resident deaths,
37,306 and 34,731, respectively.

Mortality
Rate

The New
Jersey crude death rate per 100,000 population was 894.6, a decrease
of 2.3 percent from the 1996 rate (Martin, R.M., et al., 1999). The
U.S. crude death rate in 1997 was 864.7 deaths per 100,000 population,
slightly lower than the rate of 872.5 for 1996 (Hoyert, D.L., et al.,
1999).

TABLE
M1. DEATH RATES BY AGE GROUP
NEW JERSEY, 1996 AND 1997

AGE
GROUP

1997

1996

NUMBER

RATE*

NUMBER

RATE*

UNDER
5

870

156.2

936

163.6

5-14

194

17.4

197

17.8

15-24

666

68.0

663

68.1

25-44

4,168

163.1

4,781

187.7

45-64

11,223

645.7

11,458

678.3

65-84

36,018

3,668.1

36,840

3,755.5

85
AND OVER

18,807

15,194.8

18,207

15,346.9

NOT
STATED

93

N/A

30

N/A

TOTAL

72,039

460.3

73,112

481.9

*RATES
ARE COMPUTED PER 100,000 AGE-SPECIFIC POPULATIONRATES PRESENTED
FOR THE TOTAL POPULATION ARE AGE-ADJUSTED

The age
distribution of the population is a major factor affecting the crude
death rate. Age-adjusted death rates eliminate age as a factor in the
differences found when comparing crude death rates among areas or over
time. They are better measures of mortality risk from factors other
than age. New Jersey's age-adjusted death rate was 460.3 in 1997, a
slight decrease over the 1996 rate of 481.9. In 1997 the U.S. age-adjusted
death rate decreased 2.5 percent to 479.1 deaths per 100,000 U.S. standard
million population from the 1996 rate of 491.6. While New Jersey's crude
death rate was 3.5 percent higher than the U.S. rate, when the effect
of age is removed, New Jersey's death rate is slightly lower than that
of the nation. This also means that mortality risks from factors other
than age for New Jersey residents are slightly less than those of U.S.
residents overall.

Age-adjusted
death rates vary widely for the major race-sex subgroups of the population.
Age-adjusted death rates are highest for black males (849.9 per 100,000
standard million), followed by black females (536.1), white males (530.0)
and white females (347.9). Studies have shown that mortality risks (other
than those related to age) are two to three times as high among black
males as among white females in New Jersey, regardless of the standard
population used (CHS, 1997).

Age-specific
death rates were stable or declined in all age groups between 1996 and
1997 (Table M1). The numbers of deaths decreased in most age groups,
though there was a slight increase among 15 through 24 year olds and
a larger increase among those 85 and over.

Mortality
rates vary among New Jersey=s counties (Table M28). To eliminate the
effect of differing age distributions on the death rates, these rates
were age-adjusted. The resulting age-adjusted rates per 100,000 standard
population ranged from 367.9 in Hunterdon to 589.7 in Essex County (Figure
M1).